MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it is ready to accept Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) from individuals seeking public office, provided there is no final conviction against them.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said aspirants may still run in elections unless a final and executory ruling bars them from doing so.

“First, I just want to say, there is no reference to personality…As long as a person is not convicted by final judgment involving a crime or another crime that has moral torpidity or a crime punishable by more than one year, he can run,” Garcia said in an interview after a stakeholders forum in Manila.

He added that even convictions at lower courts do not immediately disqualify a candidate.

“Even if he is convicted by a municipal trial court, regional trial court, until he appeals, he can run. Because here in our country, we have a provision in the constitution that everybody is presumed innocent until the contrary is proven,” he said.

Garcia said disqualification only applies once a conviction becomes final and executory.

“And you will only know that you are guilty when the process is over. So if it is just a conviction in a lower court, that is not a reason for a person not to run. The conviction needs to be final and executory first before he can be disqualified,” he said.

He emphasized that this rule applies across all candidates and positions.

“That is the truth, not just in the position or personality you mentioned, even in all positions until there is a final and executory decision,” he added.

Garcia was referring to Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who was arrested in connection with a plunder case before the Sandiganbayan.

“It’s simple. As long as there is no criminal conviction, in the case he is facing or in the case anyone is facing. Comelec will accept the Certificates of Candidacy,” he said.

“And if there is no final decision and no restraining order from any high court in the Commission on Elections, the name will be included in the list,” he added.

Meanwhile, the poll body has given stakeholders two weeks to submit recommendations on the terms of reference (TOR) for the upcoming national and local elections.

Garcia said the Comelec is also preparing to begin procurement for election systems and equipment for the 2028 polls, including around 125,000 new voting machines.

He said procurement is targeted to begin around August or September this year, with possible awarding of contracts by January or February next year.